I’m not hundred percent sure I have never been here before, well physically yes this is my first time, but I have found myself many times in my life sorting endlessly through miss matched toys and stuff trying to make sense of it all.

I’m reminded of sitting on the floor with this professional organizer weeping terribly as she told me that my kids would never learn to love anything or play as I had envisioned with the mountains of stuff I had gathered for them. She only had one doll and she took it everywhere with her, that doll is with her today…but kids like mine don’t even know where to look first there is so much stimulation around them…how could they even focus on one thing long enough to even appreciate it.

That day I let this woman walk out of my house with thousands of dollars in toys to give to the poor. ( I kept imagining her having this massive yard sale and making a killing so not only was I paying her 75 dollars an hour to tell me I had spoiled my kids senseless, but now she was going to go home and sell all those kits of lego and magnet building and toy cars and planes and god knows what else … hell there was so much I have no idea what I had bought them.

Of course they didn’t miss a thing and life went on minus the beanie babies and plushies, and blocks and puzzles and, and, and.

Anyways I find myself here at Elsewhere up to my ears in toy cars, and trucks and action figures, McDonald Land kids meal gifts, you name it it’s here. Other artists have attempted to create order … I think before I got my hands in there they were sorted by color. I need them sorted by material and with like things. Not that this will be my end project, but I guess it’s helping me understand what is here and I what I have to work with.

I don’t really see how this fits into my body of work, although it is kind of meditative, like when I take the boys to some play group and while the leaders where leading I was in the corner in the ball bit sorting the balls by color.

I have my Artist Talk today out on the front stage of the museum which opens to the street anyone walking by could see my naked body covered in chocolate pudding/and black food coloring ( The Oil Spill ) or me covered in diet books. Of course I had way too many slides but I just zipped right through them. I figure if someone has a question over the next three weeks it will come out.

The Elsewherian in charge of the woodworking and tool shop evidently got his masters in Paper Mache from the a University in Portland…I was hoping he would have some questions, but perhaps over the next few weeks I will find out what his favorite recipe for paste is and learn what he made out of Paper Mache.

Everyone seems really interesting and I’m looking forward to seeing their finished projects before they leave…as I have missed their artists talks presented shortly after their arrival.

There are some beautiful installations here, rooms filled with strange objects in even stranger situations. Not all of it can be properly experience via a still photograph but I will try my best. There is a lot to learn here, it’s a bit overwhelming at first…I came here with several ideas based on what I saw on the website and how I think I might like to engage with the community, but after today’s grand tour I see so many other possibilities

From the core cut through the whole building….like a giant esophagus creating a giant mouth and some kind of webbing or net made of the endless ribbon from Sylvia Gray’s Collection and to through toy food down through the mouth and see where it ended up.

A curated dinner that would conclude a two week series of interviews on what people eat and how they feel about their bodies. An Stigma Awareness Last Supper so to speak…right in time for Weight Stigma Awareness Week. Or my idea about provenance in which I would continue to play in the junk until I found three or four of my favorite things…then I would make found posters and place them all over Greensboro, inviting the community to come to Elsewhere and tell me about the object…was it their’s? did they know someone who had one? Did it remind them of something? In the end giving the items a kind of history…beyond the fact that they where cast offs unwanted and traded for money and left to gather dust.

Once again I don’t really know what I will be learning from this process or what art will come out of it. They say not to do anything for a few days until you have had a chance to acclimate to your surrounding and give to know the collection intimately. I feel more then ever that I need to do a piece that was inspired by being here…not by my research before hand. What will that look like? I don’t really know. I just need to play.

So I have just spent quite a while working on my PowerPoint for Elsewhere which I think I present on Thursday Night? Anyways…it’s all very exciting and way too long of course, and I don’t have any of my old work in it. I always think its fun to see where someone came from…I was going to put work in it by my inspiration artists as well…but I think if I sit here in this coffee shop any longer than I have already, I’m going to jump out of my own skin.

I will hit the road again and see what I can find in the way of antique malls today. I had zero luck yesterday…like Chick-Fil-A ( not sure if the capitalization is correct )…every thing was closed on Sunday…I wonder if they will be closed again today seeing as S. Truett Cathy, it’s founder died this morning? Or was it yesterday?

Anyways…I totally missed that the Royals announced that they were having another baby… because of the fast food industry’s “tragic” loss. I might have to hit one up Chick-fil-a that is for a sample, and give them my condolences.

So I’m not sure if I can post my PowerPoint on here…but I will have to try. But if it means I will have to take more time on this computer I might give up the ghost.

Up bright and early after a day of driving for 7 plus hours. I hit the road yesterday morning from Ann Arbor at 10:00 am. Not exactly sure what I packed because I was up all night and by 7:00 am I still didn’t know what I was taking. I still need to hit a hardware store for my very own personal respirator. ( I think I will need to have my Elsewhere Portrait taken with that on…because I have no idea what else I could possibly need that for.) But it was on the list of things that I will need so…I will find one before I get there on Wed.

I have a bit of trouble mixing all facets of my life on this blog, which could perhaps be the reason why I don’t update it that much; but I am going to try to do that a little more while I’m on this adventure. As some of you may or may not know I am currently the president of the Women’s Caucus for Art. It’s a national organization whose mission is “to create community through art, education, and social activism”. I have been on the board since attending my first summer board meeting over 7 years ago, spearheaded start of the Michigan Chapter and have not stopped since.

The work is exhausting and exhilarating at the same time but I knew that I would not have much time for my personal art practice so I decided to try to get an artist’s residency going so that I could take a break from all my board duties and focus on some art and creative exploration.

I applied to come to GoElsewhere, which is a living museum in Greensboro, North Carolina. An old 5 and Dime, resale shop that has become a community art and fun center that offers residencies for up to 50 artists a year. I will be there for 3 weeks.

Anyways I have just over-nighted in Nashville, TN. I drove out of my way a tad when I learned that my friend and mentor Carol Cole had an opening here at a gallery called Seed Space during a local art crawl. I had the pleasure of meeting Adrienne Outlaw the Director of the gallery, and of course many of Carol’s family that had also come in for her show, and some of the other artists who are on Seed Space’s artist advisory board. It was a fabulous evening filled with art and interesting people.

I hope that Adrienne will post the picture they took of herself, Carol and moi on their blog…because as usual I dragged my camera around with me all night but did not take a single picture. I think that by that time 9:00pm ( CST ) I was pretty zonked.

Anyways I’m starting to feel a little more like myself again. Looked in the mirror and was liking what I saw, with that slept in make up look…my bizarre dinner of Kroger’s Veggie Tray (probably the weirdest road food I have ever decided to get)….got me through the night…now I’m going to try and find something yummy for breakfast and to work on my Powerpoint presentation for my Artist’s Talk on Thursday night after my orientation in Greensboro. And of course hit a few Sunday Flea Markets.

OMG look at the time…I’m late already…I guess the Powerpoint will have to wait.

Elsewhere members + sponsors experience the great adventures and mysterious depths of an endlessly changing spectrum of living art. Enjoy free museum admission, special access to dinners + events + public studios, tax-deductions, and more.

Members also receive special discounts on tickets to The Last Great Winter fundraising extravaganza on October 11.

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ABOUT ELSEWHEREElsewhere is an artist-run, non-profit living museum and artist residency, set in a former thrift store in downtown Greensboro, NC. Utilizing the massive 58-year inventory, Elsewhere’s environment of art and everyday objects invokes new modes for creative response, living, doing, and exchanging in our downtown neighborhood and across the world.

Elsewhere is funded in part by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, ArtPlace America, The National Endowment for the Arts, The North Carolina Arts Council, ArtsGreensboro, the Fund for Democratic Communities, the Future Fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, Tannenbaum Sternberger Foundation, Guilford Green Foundation, the Harpo Foundation, the Gallucci Creative Fund, Lincoln Financial Foundation, Art Matters & friends like you.

I’m not sure I can do the past few days justice in a blog post, I’m exhausted, but if I don’t try? God only knows how long it will be before I do…Or like so many other post opportunities will it be lost forever in Procrastination Land.

I leave for China in two days and I have just completed a whirlwind two days in New Brunswick, NJ; at what I consider the pinnacle of my art career.

In April of 2013, I heard that Ferris Olin and Judith Brodsky of the Feminist Art Project were organizing a series of panels entitled The Fearsome BMI: Women Artists and the Body. Having worked with them for a while, one would assume that they knew what I was up to in my studio practice…But surely they did not if I had not been included in these talks! I mean that sure sounded like the panel I was meant to be part of!

Sad but true they had not one idea what my art was like, and I like to think it was because I did such a good job of keeping my art off the table when I am acting as regional coordinator for the Feminist Art Project or as the President of the Women’s Caucus for Art. But … I was not going to hide my light under a bushel on this topic for very much longer. It was time to speak up for myself and my art. So I wrote a letter, sent links to my work..and held my breath.

I found out when and where the first panel was taking place and flew to New York for a day to attend, and defend my turf. I also rallied Substantia Jones and some of her larger then life Adiposers, to come down and throw their weight around. “Nothing About Us, Without Us” was our cry.

During the Q and A… tripping over my tongue, trying not to sound racist or rude or disrespectful…fearing for my politically correct life…I attempted to tell the women on the panel and Ferris and Judith…YOUR DOING IT WRONG!!! YOU FORGOT US!!! It was traumatic to say the least. I wrote another letter, asking if they wanted my opinion on the panel….cause I was ready to critique!!! Don’t mess with me…( thank god that email was ignored )

Months later I got an email inviting me to be the show…The Fearsome BMI…At Rutgers, part of the Mary H Dana Women’s Series no less. I was floored, excited and stunned into silence, so much so that Judith had to prod me into responding. ( I didn’t want to appear too eager now did I??? )

Well the show went up end of March…I had museum quality crates made to ship the work, Rutgers paid for the shipping ( first time ever in my career ) and this week was the reception for the exhibition and a day long women’s health symposium, which focused on the idea of BMI: Science or Myth.

It was the most interesting and diverse group of woman, Activists, Doctors, Sociologists, Authors, Gender Studies, Public Heath Professionals, and Artists. With the exception of Jane Brody, as key note speaker, whose presentation was deeply problematic, rude and bigoted…It was a very exciting event filled with new ideas, research and intelligent dialogue, on a very complex issue that plaques women’s health and treatment there of.

I think it is going to take me a while to digest all the things I heard here, to find a way to keep these fabulous connections I’ve made open and growing.

I feel so honored to have been included in such a ground breaking event. I’m glad I spoke up for myself and I was thrilled that I was heard. I can only hope I did justice to the cause…and that I have inspired more people to stop dieting.

The Santo Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of our 2013 Individual Artist Awards. We send our sincere gratitude for every artist who took the time and energy to apply to our 5th Anniversary International Call for Entry. This year’s distinguished juror Marilu Knode commented on the high level of quality and diversity of our candidates. After diligently reviewing every portfolio, three artists will receive the top honors and $5000 to be used at their discretion.